Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman passes while under pressure from Giants defensive tackle Mike Patterson at MetLife Stadium on October 21, 2013 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman walks off the field in frustration after failing to convert on fourth down in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's 23-7 loss to the Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Monday, October 21, 2013. Giants won 23-7.
(Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman gets taken down hard after a missed throw late in the fourth quarter as the Minnesota Vikings play the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Monday, October 21, 2013. Giants won 23-7.
(Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman rests on the sidelines during the first half against the Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Monday, October 21, 2013. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

As if Monday night’s performance at MetLife Stadium wasn’t bad enough for Josh Freeman, things didn’t get any better for the Vikings quarterback on the trip home.

Freeman, who had a disastrous outing in a 23-7 loss to the New York Giants, said he began feeling bad when he arrived back in Minnesota with the team early Tuesday morning. He soon was diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms.

“I really didn’t start feeling the symptoms until we got off the plane the next morning,” said Freeman, who returned to practice Friday after missing workouts Wednesday and Thursday. “I just learned this talking to the doctors, but oftentimes with concussions they don’t really start showing noticeable symptoms until hours later. That was the case on Monday night, and really Tuesday morning is when I got the full onslaught of symptoms.”

Although Freeman was able to go through a light practice Friday, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier has ruled him out for Sunday’s home game against Green Bay. Christian Ponder, who struggled during the first three games of the season and eventually lost the starting job, will return to the lineup.

Freeman has been lambasted by many for his showing against the Giants on “Monday Night Football.” Freeman, who was waived by Tampa Bay on Oct. 3 and debuted for the Vikings 12 days after his first workout, completed 20 of 53 passes for 190 yards with an interception.

“Looking back, maybe I was a little too fired up at first,” Freeman said. “There’s definitely a lot of correctable things, things that going into the game I would’ve banked on me being able to complete or get done on the field, but at the same time we weren’t able to do so. So I’m moving forward, and just got to find a way to be better prepared.”

Freeman didn’t use his concussion as an excuse and doesn’t know on which play it occurred, although Frazier said Freeman told him it likely happened in the third quarter.

“It’s really, really been day to day,” Freeman said of going through concussion tests this week. “The NFL does a great job. They set up the measures in place to make sure you’re 100 percent clear before you get the go-ahead. I’ve been doing a lot of tests. I had an MRI. A lot of numbers, a lot of different activities, making sure that my mind is right.

“I’ve really appreciated how the coaches have handled it. It’s been kind of, ‘OK, all right, take your time, feel it out.’ It hasn’t been, ‘Hurry up and get back.’ They’ve treated it and handled this situation very professionally in allowing me to get back at my own pace, which is, with any head injuries, a necessary step.”

Freeman said he might have had a concussion playing at Kansas State in 2007 or 2008. But this is his first concussion in his five-year NFL career.

“He did a little bit of work (Friday),” said Frazier, who anticipates Freeman going through regular practice next week. “He was cleared (Friday) morning, but that was about it. He didn’t do that much but did something.”

It remains to be seen what happens with Minnesota’s quarterback situation the rest of the season. With Matt Cassel getting the call in the fourth and fifth games, the Vikings (1-5) have started three quarterbacks in the first six weeks of the season.

Freeman, who signed a $3 million deal for the remainder of the season, wants to steer clear of controversy. He sidestepped questions about what role he will play after the game against the Packers.

“The entire organization’s focus is on Sunday night,” he said. “It’s going up against the Packers and finding a way to get a win. My role for the game, I’ve got to any way I can help Christian out there.”

Freeman has faced heavy criticism. Analyst and former NFL defensive back Rodney Harrison went so far as to say on NBC Sports Radio that “I can’t say that I believe he has a concussion” and that it might have been “a convenient excuse” due to Freeman’s bad performance.

“I didn’t hear him say that,” Freeman said. “As a competitor, the last thing you want to do is have a situation where you’re sitting out the following week due to being on the sideline most of the week in practice. So my feeling toward that is all I can do is live my truth. I didn’t hear any comments. I really don’t pay a lot of attention to what’s going on in the outside world.”

Chris joined the Pioneer Press in 2013 to cover the Vikings. He was a longtime NBA writer with the Akron Beacon Journal, Rocky Mountain News and AOL FanHouse. Before coming to Minnesota, he covered the Miami Heat and Dolphins for Fox Sports. Chris has won four awards in the past three Pro Football Writers of America contests. Chris is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he spent his college years watching the losingest team in the history of Division I-A football.

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